Releasing Oil "Recovered" Birds In A Safer Place

I brought up earlier that I wondered about the wisdom of releasing oiled birds found in the Gulf Mexico.  Typically in wildlife rehab, you release birds in and around the area the injured birds were found, the area they are used to. In this case, what's the point of releasing an oiled bird back to an area already coated with oil that will be covered with more oil on a daily basis? Thanks to a link I saw from Klaus (who started the awesome Skywatch Friday), I saw this news: Birds Rescued From Oil Released Into Safety Of Merritt Island Refuge.

Rather than releasing the cleaned up birds back to the Gulf of Mexico where they run the risk of falling victim to the oil again, releasing them to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge gives them a chance. It's on the Atlantic side of Florida and relatively safe from the oil.  That's no guarantee for the released birds' survival.  They have to work out territory issues with the birds that are already there and birds have wings and an incredible navigational system.  The birds may return to Louisiana, but at the moment this is a better chance than being released where they were found.

Play on Birds!

Hey--Non Birding Bill and I are performing!  We wrote a show several years ago called Play on Birds.  It's a bunch of sketches that lovingly pokes fun at birds, bird watching and bird feeding.  We've performed it for the Minnesota Fringe Festival and even at a few bird festivals around the country.  Some of the sketches include:

What Birders Think They Look Like

What Birders Actually Look Like

Bird and Chain (Birding With Your Non Birding Spouse)

Birds With Dirty Names

And we've added some new stuff! Even Non Birders seem to enjoy this.  One of my all time favorite quotes about the show was from audience member Dale who said, "I only came to this because you two are my friends.  I thought it was going to be a load of crap, but I laughed my ass off!"

I'm gonna channel some of my frustration with the gulf spill and 10% of our profits will be donated to International Bird Rescue and Research Center and also make it the Birds and Beers for this month.

We're only performing it twice at the Bryant Lake Bowl--you can order dinner and have a drink during the show!  I highly recommend the mock duck rolls.  If you haven't been to the Bryant Lake Bowl before, it's awesome--a theater, bar, restaurant and bowling ally all in one.  You can have a drink, watch a show, eat some food and then bowl a game!

Performance Dates:

June 13, 201o.  The doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm (and runs about an hour).

June 20, 2010. The doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm (and runs about an hour).

Come and laugh with fellow birders (and maybe a few non birders) and help raise money for the IBRRC.

15 Bird Species At Serious Risk Due To Gulf Spill

Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an AWESOME online resource of North American Bird information called Birds of North America Online.  Originally, this was a series of booklets written by the top experts in the field on a particular bird species.  You could purchase individual species booklets or the whole shebang for $1500. In the last few years, Cornell has put all of that info online and it's updated regularly.  To view it, you simply need a subscription ($42 per year or $5 per month for the entire set).  It's a valuable resource and perfect for anyone wanting the latest and most in depth info on a specific bird.

Today, Cornell announced that would open up profiles 15 bird species threatened by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  The open-access accounts are for the 10 species featured in the eBird Gulf Coast Oil Spill Tracker and five additional species:

Cornell said in a statement, "Our intent is to help anyone who’s looking for information about birds in harm’s way; who needs specific answers to questions about life history, population or conservation status, migration schedules, feeding or nesting behavior, etc.; and people who need a quick, comprehensive introduction to the scientific literature about a species."

A valuable and accurate resource indeed for researchers or the news media who might need some background info on some of the oiled birds being found. Even if you are not on the Gulf Coast, take a moment and glance through some of the species profiles.  The information compiled is amazing.

eBird Wants Oiled Bird Reports

My niece Nicole posted, "I know the oil spill should encourage me to be green, instead I feel defeated." That is exactly the way I feel about it.  Defeated.  But it can't end there.  If we accept defeat, we will be.

Being a birder, people helpfully send links and I see the news forwarded on from friends on Twitter and Facebook of oil covered birds and though I often don't click through--I know it's horrendous, I debate about adding them here or linking them on.  But as awful as the photos are, we need to stay on task and hold those responsible for this apparently unstoppable mess accountable for their actions--specifically, not having a plan in place to stop a spill of this magnitude should it ever happen.

I can't even tell what species of bird is in this photo taken by Charlie Riedel on the East Grand Terre Island in Louisiana.  Perhaps a gannet?

The spill needs to be tracked, not only by BP but by independent observers.  When you see BP doing things questionable things like hiring in workers when President Obama visited only to have the workers disappear when the President left, you get suspicious of their efforts.  BP is also brushing off clean up workers' complaints of nausea and respiratory ailments as "food poisoning."  Who knows what else might get swept under the rug?  Would they also under report the size of the spill and the amount of wildlife affected?  Now is the time to be vigilant.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird has now created a platform so birders on the Gulf Coast can report oiled or sick birds.  Though tragic and painful to watch, this is important work as we need to document species affected and where the spill is coming ashore.  If you live or are visiting potentially affected areas over the next several months, please consider submitting reports.

I just received a press release that Underwater World at the Mall of America is putting out a request for toothbrushes for sea turtles and marine mammals for cleaning--it's not just birds being affected out there.  This is the combined effort with the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program and Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Underwater world is also collecting towels and scrub brushes for the effort.  Please drop off donations no later than  June 13, 2010.

Wildlife is being killed and the wildlife that is "rescued" has a slim chance at surviving wildlife rehab and will only be released to an environment with still more oil polluting it.  Not only is this a dangerous environment for birds to forage for food and raise young, but no doubt the oil will deplete some of the food the birds (and other wildlife need).  But people are helping where they can because...what else can you do?  And even as I question whether or not an oiled bird or turtle should be rereleased, I know I would not leave a live and struggling bird alone on the beach, I would want to help.

If you would like to help with this effort with donations for birds, the International Bird Rescue and Research Center appears to be the best organization at mobilizing the various local wildlife rehabilitation centers to coordinate their efforts.

Here's a video explaining the process of cleaning birds produced by the Miami Herald and Steve Johnson of IBRRC:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQSubToXKDo&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

One thing that people may not realize about these birds is that pelicans some other water birds regurgitate when nervous or stressed.  I learned the hard way when I banded pelicans, gulls and cormorants several years ago.  Anyone who works with this type of birds is doing stinky work.

I recall with the passing of the health care bill that Vice President Biden remarked it was a big "effing" deal.  If I would like to see any profanity from the higher office, it would be now.  Enough of everyone giving carefully worded and not so carefully worded statements of dismay and apologies without taking responsibility.  I want President Obama to channel some Samuel L. Jackson in Snakes on a Plane in dealing with BP.  I want an immediately assembled "think tank" of the world's underwater engineering experts, wildlife experts, middle school and high school science fair winners and the entire staff of MythBusters to pitch ideas on how to stop the leak.

Random Owl Chicks

I was archiving some photos and found this photo from this year's Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds of a great horned owl nest with 2 chicks.  I figured the least I could do is post this photo after yesterday's link to a flycatcher eating what appears to be Cthulu.

A Day In The Office

My spring travels are almost finished and each day I feel like I find myself in a new office. When not at the park service, the above photo is what my office looks like.  Some cubicle view, huh?  The only downside is that I have the occasional misstep into a badger hole.  Fortunately, no badgers have confronted me on this faux pas, which makes me suspect shenanigans on their part as the holes are well hidden in the tall grasses.

Here's one of my office mates--the horned lark.  Don't let that face fool you into thinking he's constantly reminding all of us to stay on task.  He has a habit of taking to the air, hanging right above me for minutes at a time and singing.  It's pretty cool to actually see that behavior...and yet so vexing when I try to get a photo or a video of it.  Some day, Mr. Horned Lark, some day.  Yes indeed, that photo of your territory display will be mine.

I'm practically tripping over the vesper sparrows and their song greets me every morning.  The feed around me in the field and get so close I almost wonder if they are watching me?  I think I attract insects and kick seeds and they are more interested in that.

And speaking of insects, last week about killed me.  I got covered in black flies--something I did not expect in southern Minnesota.  For some reason, I always thought of them as a north woods pest, yet their irritation seems to not be. limited to wooded habitat.  I now have a biting creature that I detest more than noseeums and ticks.  They flew up my nose, down my shirt, into my ear canals and into my mouth if I was foolish enough to open it--good grief, at least chiggers stay below the knee.

I sprayed myself with my Deep Woods OFF to no avail.  Suspecting that I had an old bottle, I purchased a new one at lunch time.  The black flies treated it more like hollandaise sauce rather than repellent.  I asked Twitter and researched the Internet and found that the only thing that helps is 100% DEET and that's not always a guarantee.  Other than that, permethrin on your clothing or beekeeper netting works well.  I didn't really want to spend 10 hours in my bee suit and as much as using a product that demands I only put on my clothes not my skin (and then leave my clothes to dry for several hours before putting them on) kinda scared me, I was desperate.  I purchased some permethrin and invested in a boony hat with bug netting.  So far today, I've yet be bitten.  We'll see how this evening goes.

And it's not always all bad.  I do get some cool views as I work.  This is last week's sunset.

Another benefit is that I got to watch a sedge wren delurk itself.  I hear one quite a bit, but most of the time, the singing happens behind grasses and I can't see it.  The closest I came was the above photo until...

He popped up!  Cute.  Am I the only one who thinks they kind of sound like dickcissels?

And, as I frequently use my blog as a catch all for travel notes so if I return to an area, I can remember place I enjoyed eating, weird hotels, etc.  Here's a note:

My work for this particular project leaves me with a large chunk of the afternoon free and wondered what my chances of find an internet coffee shop with a decent lunch would be.  Early on, things looked bleak as I stumbled upon a train themed restaurant.  Though the decor and staff was charming, the food was not.  The only other vegetable on the salad bar besides head lettuce was a dish full of black olives (that's not an exaggeration).  The daily special for that cafe was battered cottage cheese deep fried and served with "white sauce" served on a slice of ham.

No, I didn't try it.  I saw that someone next to me ordered it and it looked even less appetizing than it sounded.

But then I found SiJambo, a charming little coffee shop in Windom that had a pretty good salad bar with a cucumber salad and tasty paninis.  I warned the staff that I would be camping out for a few hours when I visited and they've been down right sweet about it.  In Minneapolis, if you overstay your welcome at an Internet Cafe, the staff will give you glares to get you to leave (or in the case of the Urban Bean, the owner just shuts off the internet until the undesired leaves).  Here, they include me in conversations and even offered me free cake.

Also, the Earth Inn Motel in Jackson, MN is inexpensive, comfortable with reliable wireless and the owners are a hoot.  Wednesday night is free dessert night.

Ew

Think about all the times your parents served you food as a child and you didn't want to eat.  Think about the nastiest thing your parents could not get down your throat.  Now, follow this link and be grateful that you did not grow up in a great-crested flycatcher chick.

Bees on Wall Street

Friends have sent me this link to a story about bees swarming on Wall Street and apparently trying to get into Cipriani (bees with swanky taste no doubt).  I think my favorite part of the story is learning that New York City has Officer Anthony Planakis, their official bee handling officer.  Now there is a guy that TLC or Discovery needs to to a reality show about.  Officer Planakis roams the gritty streets of New York, busting stings and saving bees from a life of freebasing essential oils at swanky perfume boutiques.

What To Do With Oiled Birds?

There's no way to avoid talking about the horrendous BP Oil Spill.  I don't want the blog to become all awful news on the oil spill all the time, but I can't ignore it either.  The oil spill has affected many people deeply--areas and birds and wildlife we love so much are in the path of this practically impossible to clean and lethal mess.  Not only am I disturbed by the images of injured birds and soiled coastal marshes, I'm also disturbed by my recent mindset--which is clinging to the fragile (if not foolish) hope in the form of Kevin Costner--does he really have a magical contraption to separate the water from the oil?  Could this really work?  He does have a lot to make up for from Waterworld. As I've been reading some of the reports on rescuing birds, I've seriously questioned if cleaning and treating them for oil ingestion is a good idea.  The goal with wildlife rehab is to get the bird back out in the wild.  But what kind of environment will we send the birds to?  There's more oil every day.  It's not like the birds are being cleaned and treated to come back to a somewhat better situation--it's only worse each day.

An article came in to my news feed this morning asking the question: Is it better overall to euthanize oiled birds? Here's a quote from the article"

"Spiegel Online talked with Silvia Gaus, a biologist at the Wattenmeer National Park along the North Sea in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.  "According to serious studies, the middle-term survival rate of oil-soaked birds is under 1 percent," says Gaus.

Gaus' experience comes from the 2002 Prestige oil spill which killed 250,000 birds off the coasts of Spain, Portugal and France. Out of thousands of birds cleaned, only 600 survived long enough to be released back into the wild.   The median survival of the released birds was seven days."

Survival rate of less than 1%?  Median survival of released birds only seven days?  The birds spent all that time in rehab only to die about a week later?

We all want to feel useful in this situation and I think most of us feel a deep need to do something concrete to help.  Something beyond sending money or even our hair and pantyhose.  Right now the only thing concrete appears to be cleaning and treating oiled birds and wildlife.  But in the long run, are we really helping them when they are released to an environment that will only be coated with more oil?

Tent Caterpillars

As I have been traveling all over the state this spring, I've noticed a few tent caterpillars and webs on trees.  Two nights ago, I noticed a large mourning cloak caterpillar and thought I might put up a reminder about these different species.

Here's a sample of a bush that I found last week that is covered in webs of the eastern tent caterpillar.  These emerge from eggs and the caterpillars form a tent in the crotch on a branch.

The caterpillars leave en masse from the tent to feed and then return to digest.  The tent serves as some predator protection and also as a green house to keep the caterpillars warm and aid in digestion.  I like to watch these tents during migration, sometimes you can find a yellow-billed cuckoo or black-billed cuckoo tearing in to one and gorging on the ample food source.

When the hundreds leave the tent to feed, you might see them crawling all over on the ground.  These two were on one of the walkways at Jeffers Petroglyphs, but I saw quite a few eastern tent caterpillars along the Minneapolis Greenway on Saturday...not faring too well either with the number of riders that were out.

This is a photo from the Vermont Division of Forestry of a cluster of forest tent caterpillars...which do not spin a tent like the eastern tent caterpillars do.  They do make a silky sheet to molt under, but according to my Caterpillars of Eastern North America they do not make the tent and use their silk the same way that eastern tent caterpillars do.  They do have a tendency to cluster on the side of a tree and could fool people into thinking they are mourning cloak caterpillars.

These are mourning cloak caterpillars that I gathered on the bike trail last summer.  The female butterfly lays eggs en masse on the host tree and the caterpillars feed in a large cluster as they grow.  When it's time to pupate, large groups will exit the tree--resembling the tent caterpillars.  Last year, when I posted my photos, some people commented and emailed me that they had those and were told they were tent caterpillars or gypsy moths and that they should be exterminated.  These guys might eat all the leaves off a branch but they will not strip a whole tree.  Plus, they turn into gorgeous butterflies (that hibernate over winter--how cool is that).  Also, these guys do not make tents, they do not leave a silk trail or make a silk sheet for molting.

People tend not to care for tent caterpillars  because of the caterpillars can reduce the growth their host trees.  I'm ambivalent about them--they are a great source of food for wild birds.  But many understandably call exterminators to deal with tent caterpillars.  Make sure you know your caterpillars before you call your exterminator.  Not all exterminators seem to know their caterpillars.  If you see red spots on the back of the caterpillar and it has a "spikey" look, that could be a mourning cloak.